Difference between revisions of "VX-REXX"

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[[Image:VXREXX.png|thumb|'''Watcom VX-REXX'''<br>Advert from 1994]]
 
[[Image:VXREXX.png|thumb|'''Watcom VX-REXX'''<br>Advert from 1994]]
VX-REXX is a highly-extensible [[REXX]] GUI development system for OS/2, it contains a core engine written in a low level language but everything else is actually written in VX-REXX itself and you can extend the system simply by writing [[SOM]] objects for it. It was delivered in two versions, a standard version and a "Client/server" version that had built in support for [[SQL]] databases and support for writing front ends for other back end computer software.
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VX-REXX is a highly-extensible [[REXX]] GUI development system for OS/2, it contains a core engine written in a low level language but everything else is actually written in VX-REXX itself and you can extend the system simply by writing [[SOM]] objects for it, although a more conventional [[C]] SDK was also released for it later in the form of the [[VX-REXX Object Development Kit]]. It was delivered in two versions, a standard version and a "Client/server" version that had built-in support for [[SQL]] databases and support for writing front ends for other back end computer software.
  
VX-REXX was originally developed by [[Watcom]] which was acquired by Powersoft in 1994, and Powersoft merged with Sybase in 1995 who discontinued the product around 1997. And Sybase itself was later bought by SAP. Despite its discontinuation the system remains one of the most popular if not the the most popular development product in day to day use for OS/2 and eComStation systems.
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==History==
 
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VX-REXX was originally developed by [[Watcom]] which was acquired by [[Powersoft]] in 1994, and Powersoft merged with [[Sybase]] in 1995 who discontinued the product in 1998. And Sybase itself was later bought by SAP. Despite its discontinuation the system remains popular in day to day use.
====VX-REXX libraries and extensions====
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* [[VX-REXX Extras Library]]
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====VX-REXX code====
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* [[VX-REXX Code snippets]]
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==Versions==
 
==Versions==
 +
[[File:Watcom-VXREXX-CS-D1.jpg|thumb|Product diskette]]
 
* 06/1993: VX-REXX 1.0
 
* 06/1993: VX-REXX 1.0
* 09/1993: VX-REXX 1.01 - latest patch level 1.01c (1993-12-03)
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* 09/1993: VX-REXX 1.01
* 1994: VX-REXX 2.0 - latest patch level 2.0c (1994-11-11)
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** Patch level 1.01c (1993-12-03)
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* 1994: VX-REXX 2.0
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** Patch level 2.0a (1994-05)
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** Patch level 2.0b (1994-06)
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** Patch level 2.0c (1994-11-11)
 
* 1995: VX-REXX 2.1
 
* 1995: VX-REXX 2.1
* '''Last known version for OS/2-eCS''': 2.1d (1995-09-19)
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** Patch level 2.1a (1994-11-09)
 +
** Patch level 2.1b (1995-01-11)
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** Patch level 2.1c (1995-06-20)
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** Patch level 2.1d (1995-09-19)
  
==Downloads==
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==Product Documentation==
* [http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/h-viewer.php?dir=/pub/os2/dev/rexx&file=VXRCSDem.zip Demo Version 2.1]
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* WATCOM VX-REXX Programmers Guide
* [http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/h-browse.php?dir=/pub/os2/dev/rexx/patches Patches to 2.1d]
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* WATCOM VX-REXX for OS/2 Programmer's Guide and Reference
  
==Links==
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==Libraries and extensions==
* [http://www.kepl.com.au/esstu/vxrexx.html VX-REXX Tips & Tricks] - From the Esstu Pack by Chris Angelico, same site also has a few programs [http://www.kepl.com.au/esstu/swindex.html written in VX-REXX] including source.
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* [[VX-REXX Extras Library]]
* [http://www.os2site.com/sw/dev/rexx/vxrexx/ Dev - REXX - VxREXX - OS/2 Site] collection of resources about VX-REXX
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* [[VX-REXX Object Development Kit]]
* [http://www.ecomstation.it/ecsoft2/prog.php?progid=1948&name=Watcom+VX-REXX&sys=os2+ecomstation&language=en VX-REXX on eCOmStation.it] - Info on the system in English and Italian.
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* [http://trac.netlabs.org/vxapps List of Netlabs projects written in VX-REXX]
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* [http://www.os2museum.com/wp/os2-history/os2-2-1-and-2-11/vxrexx_about/ OS/2 Museum VX-REXX 1.00]
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==License==
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Commercial software - Discontinued.
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==Publications==
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* [[VX-REXX Code snippets]]
* [https://archive.org/details/VX-REXXProgrammersGuide VX-REXX Programmers Guide]
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For known issues see: [[Inofficial VX-REXX buglist]] from [[Bastian Märkisch]]
* [http://books.google.com.ec/books/about/WATCOM_VX_REXX_for_OS_2_Programmer_s_Gui.html?id=Nh3BHAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y WATCOM VX-REXX for OS/2 Programmer's Guide and Reference]  
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* [[Ronny Richardson]]: ''[http://books.google.com.ec/books/about/Writing_VX_REXX_Programs.html?id=fW4tAQAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y Writing Vx-Rexx Programs]'' - 1994 - Mcgraw-Hill - Paperback, 336 pages + CD-ROM - ISBN 0079119115 - ISBN 978-0079119117 - Out of Print
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==Licence and availability==
 +
Discontinued commercial software, the company announced in April 1996 that it would no longer develop the package as the developer resources were being moved to Optima++ and 1998-03-01 withdrew the VX-REXX package from sale altogether. When the Watcom C/C++ was being open sourced into the [[OpenWatcom]] there was interest in open sourcing VX-REXX as well, however for cost reasons this proved impossible and the project was discontinued.
  
====Local articles====
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==Local articles==
* [[Bastian Märkisch]]: [[Inofficial VX/REXX buglist]]
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* [[Gordon Zeglinski]]: [[Visual REXX Faceoff - Part 1]] Watcom's VX-REXX (Jun 1994)  
* Visual REXX Faceoff by [[Gordon Zeglinski]]  
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** [[Visual REXX Faceoff - Part 1]] Watcom's VX-REXX (June 1994)
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** [[Visual REXX Faceoff - Part 2]] Hockware's VisPro REXX/Bronze 2.0 (July 1994)
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** [[Visual REXX Faceoff - Part 3]] Hockware's VisPro REXX/Gold 2.03 (October 1994)
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* [[Derek Clarkson]]: [[Watcom's VX-REXX version 2.1 Review]]
 
* [[Derek Clarkson]]: [[Watcom's VX-REXX version 2.1 Review]]
 
* [[Brian Vink]]: [[Creating Multithreaded Applications with WATCOM VX-REXX]]
 
* [[Brian Vink]]: [[Creating Multithreaded Applications with WATCOM VX-REXX]]
* [[Enhancing VX-REXX with macros]]
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* Chris Angelico: [[Enhancing VX-REXX with macros]]
  
====Articles, papers and presentations====
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==Publications==
* [[Gabrielle Gagnon]]: [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2KIKOEwqk-QC&pg=PA263 Visual REXX tools] - A comparison review for VX-REXX, [[GpfREXX]] and [[VisPro/REXX]] - From [[PC Magazine]], July 1996.
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* [[Ronny Richardson]]: ''Writing VX-REXX Programs'' - McGraw-Hill 1994, ISBN 0-07-911911-5
* [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IzsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA82 A review of VX-REXX 2.0] by [[InfoWorld]] Magazine - From 1994
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;Articles
* [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=VK6meblp0xsC&pg=PA228 A review of VX-REXX 1.01] by [[PC Magazine]] - Febuary 1994
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* [[Eric Giguère]]: ''REXX and the OS/2 Workplace Shell'' - Dr Dobb's Journal, Dec 1993
* Nicholas Peterley: [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mzgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 VX_REXX adds client/server support: Visual enviroment is now easier to use] with the [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mzgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA96 second part here] - From [[InfoWorld]] Magazine August 8, 1994.
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* [http://books.google.com/books?id=VK6meblp0xsC&pg=PA228 A review of VX-REXX 1.01] by [[PC Magazine]] Feb 1994
* [[Eric Giguère]]: ''[http://collaboration.cmc.ec.gc.ca/science/rpn/biblio/ddj/Website/articles/DDJ/1993/9312/9312d/9312d.htm REXX and the OS/2 Workplace Shell]''
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* [http://books.google.com/books?id=IzsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA82 A review of VX-REXX 2.0] - InfoWorld 1994
* [[Eric Giguère]]: ''Watcom VX REXX for OS/2'' - Published as part of [http://www.slac.stanford.edu/pubs/slacreports/reports01/slac-r-422.pdf Proceeding of The REXX Symposium for Developer and Users May 18-20, 1993], page 34 (page 40 in the PDF version).
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* Nicholas Peterley: [http://books.google.com/books?id=mzgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 VX-REXX adds client/server support: Visual environment is now easier to use] - InfoWorld 1994-08-08
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* [[Gabrielle Gagnon]]: [http://books.google.com/books?id=2KIKOEwqk-QC&pg=PA263 Visual REXX tools] - A comparison review for VX-REXX, [[GpfREXX]] and [[VisPro/REXX]] - PC Magazine, Jul 1996
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;Presentation
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* Eric Giguère: ''Watcom VX-REXX for OS/2'' - Published as part of [http://www.slac.stanford.edu/pubs/slacreports/reports01/slac-r-422.pdf Proceeding of The REXX Symposium for Developer and Users May 18-20, 1993], page 34
  
==Authors and publisher==
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==Links==
* [[Eric Giguère]]
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* [http://www.kepl.com.au/esstu/vxrexx.html VX-REXX Tips & Tricks] - From the Esstu Pack by Chris Angelico, same site also has a few programs [http://www.kepl.com.au/esstu/swindex.html written in VX-REXX] including source.
* [[Watcom]]
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* [http://trac.netlabs.org/vxapps List of Netlabs projects written in VX-REXX]
 +
* [http://www.os2museum.com/wp/os2-history/os2-2-1-and-2-11/vxrexx_about/ OS/2 Museum VX-REXX 1.00]
 +
;Downloads
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* [http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/dev/rexx/VXRCSDem.zip VXRCSDem.zip] - C/S edition demo version 2.1
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* [http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/h-browse.php?dir=/pub/os2/dev/rexx/patches Patches]
  
 
[[Category:VX-REXX]]
 
[[Category:VX-REXX]]

Revision as of 21:31, 27 June 2020

Watcom VX-REXX
Advert from 1994

VX-REXX is a highly-extensible REXX GUI development system for OS/2, it contains a core engine written in a low level language but everything else is actually written in VX-REXX itself and you can extend the system simply by writing SOM objects for it, although a more conventional C SDK was also released for it later in the form of the VX-REXX Object Development Kit. It was delivered in two versions, a standard version and a "Client/server" version that had built-in support for SQL databases and support for writing front ends for other back end computer software.

History

VX-REXX was originally developed by Watcom which was acquired by Powersoft in 1994, and Powersoft merged with Sybase in 1995 who discontinued the product in 1998. And Sybase itself was later bought by SAP. Despite its discontinuation the system remains popular in day to day use.

Versions

Product diskette
  • 06/1993: VX-REXX 1.0
  • 09/1993: VX-REXX 1.01
    • Patch level 1.01c (1993-12-03)
  • 1994: VX-REXX 2.0
    • Patch level 2.0a (1994-05)
    • Patch level 2.0b (1994-06)
    • Patch level 2.0c (1994-11-11)
  • 1995: VX-REXX 2.1
    • Patch level 2.1a (1994-11-09)
    • Patch level 2.1b (1995-01-11)
    • Patch level 2.1c (1995-06-20)
    • Patch level 2.1d (1995-09-19)

Product Documentation

  • WATCOM VX-REXX Programmers Guide
  • WATCOM VX-REXX for OS/2 Programmer's Guide and Reference

Libraries and extensions

For known issues see: Inofficial VX-REXX buglist from Bastian Märkisch

Licence and availability

Discontinued commercial software, the company announced in April 1996 that it would no longer develop the package as the developer resources were being moved to Optima++ and 1998-03-01 withdrew the VX-REXX package from sale altogether. When the Watcom C/C++ was being open sourced into the OpenWatcom there was interest in open sourcing VX-REXX as well, however for cost reasons this proved impossible and the project was discontinued.

Local articles

Publications

Articles
Presentation

Links

Downloads